Video: Is SEO Dead?

SEO is Dead.

Arguably the most common statement made within the digital marketing industry, quite often click bait, and quite often defined to one small aspect of the SEO toolkit. Take a few minutes out of your day to hear from Senior Consultant, Stephen Mumford as he discusses SEO in 2017 and the role it plays as part of a sophisticated digital marketing strategy.

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Video Transcription:

So, one of the questions that comes up in the work that I do and the people that I speak to is SEO, and is SEO dead? And, I think there’s probably two parts to that in terms of the answer to that question. For me, the answer is yes and no. Certainly, all the tactics that, you know, even we used to employ as an agency that worked in SEO, like, you know, link building and putting lots of keywords on the pages, that’s really gone by the wayside and doesn’t work anymore. In fact, it’s probably more likely to get you into trouble with Google than do you any good.

Certainly, quality links coming into your website still have relevance and can still, you know, strengthen your website. But, for me, now, the key thing is that SEO has two phases. The first phase is making sure the house is built correctly and strongly, in other words, the foundation. So when we do an SEO campaign, we’re looking at, first of all, the website, the build, the response time, looking at the information architecture and getting all those foundations right so that the website is right in terms of best practice for Google.

After that, because, let’s face it, Google is getting smarter and smarter all the time. The thing that really makes the difference is content and relevance. And, again, those are buzzwords I know that you’ll hear sort of thrown around a lot of the time. So let’s look at what that really means. When I think of content, I’m thinking of, you know, quality content and editorial on your website that actually speaks to what people are looking for when they’re turning to Google to find you. In other words, it’s about looking at how people are engaging with Google and the information that they want from your website and making sure that your website stretches it in such a way so that you’re speaking to those topics. That, for me, is relevance. And that is the thing that makes the biggest difference in making your website more engaging.

Why would you wanna make your website more engaging? Well, Google is also looking beyond the click. It’s got RankBrain now as part of its algorithm. It’s got machine-based learning. It’s smart. So what it’s also looking at is how long people spend on your website. Are they getting what they’re looking for? If they are, they’re gonna stay there longer. The journey through the site needs to be logical. So focus on getting the right quality content and speaking to what people are looking for, and you’re on the right path with SEO, which is why it can take time to get right.

But the thing with me and looking at SEO in my view of where it fits into the marketing mix is that, you know, over time, the ROI from SEO really compounds. It grows year on year. Once you get good organic traffic coming into your website, it’s gonna keep working in your favor. I think paid campaigns and AdWords are fantastic. But the reality is the cost-per-click is only going to increase. And so, over time, SEO is the one that will give you probably the best return on investment, which is why we love it so much still here at Rocket Agency.

Thanks.

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by Stephen Mumford

Senior Consultant

You’ll probably know Stephen’s friendly face if you’re working with Rocket. He collaborates with new and existing clients, developing digital marketing strategies to grow their businesses and increase profitability. UK-born Stephen was educated at the University of Liverpool before moving to Australia in 1999. He has over 15 years of experience in technology, software, CRM and web marketing, and his up-to-the-minute knowledge is invaluable for both client ROI and our client seminars. He loves helping clients harness the opportunities that digital presents them with. Yep, he’s a proud Englishman, but we’ve adopted him as one of our own.
Stephen is a keen karaoke singer when the opportunity arises. He’s also an Instagram aficionado and would be happy to provide a few pointers on Snapchat filters next time you see him…